#32: Man with titanium balls and the voice to back them up!

[jamar1700]

INTERVIEW: Clay Aiken

Your producer brought songs to you that you called "left of center." Most people perceive you as clean cut, but where do you feel like you fit in pop? It's a genre that is constantly changing its standards. Do you feel like you need a bit of edge to stay relevant?

I'm totally happy where we are. I think that the biggest trap that people can fall into is trying to sing songs that are[n't] great [for them], and not finding songs that are great for them. I think that's what we've finally done on this album. We've done the best we can to make sure that the songs that we've found were good for me.

Hmmm. I don't know how much clearer he can be? Hee.

eta....Cool for the #1 (see below!)

---

Small pets? We had 'em all.

From worst to first...

Misty the parakeet. Ugh. She was noisy, messy and mean. And she lived for 4 years. At one point she started laying eggs. Which is the only way we found out she was a female. Later we leaned that only the males actually sing.

Mojo the dwarf hamster. Really really mean when we brought her home from the pet store. Turns out because she was preggers. Very shortly we had five. They were cute but only live for like a year.

Betty and Bob the gerbils. Well you can imagine what happened there. E was disgusted when Bob kept chasing Betty around the cage the day after she gave birth. I think we had 11 by the time we got rid of them all.

Goldy the white goldfish. Swam around and around and around in his goldfish bowl for nearly 3 years. Unthinkable lifespan for a 15 cent Wal-Mart fish. At some point his "gold" fell off and he turned white. Weird looking fish. Every once in awhile he'd make a break for it and we'd find him flopping on the counter and pop him back in the bowl. When he got really old he sort of lost his ability to swim in a straight line. Just sort of laid on his side (yes we thought he was dead most mornings) and wiggled. At the very end he couldn't even hold himself upright so he was this floating C. But he still managed to eat. Since we kept him in a bowl he was pretty inexpensive. I'd rather clean the bowl then an aquarium any day. Actually I had two. So I'd get the new one ready and then move him. Then I didn't have to rush through cleaning the other bowl.

Whiskers the albino gerbil. He was very tame. He ran around the lower level in this clear excercise ball. He loved to held. We had a flannel shirt that we kept hanging in the laundry room that was "his" shirt. You'd put in on and pick him up and sit down and eventually he'd crawl into the breast pocket and have a snooze. Too cute. I think he lived for 3 or 4 years.

But I think the nicest small pet we had was

Stinky the teddy bear hamster *waves to Stinky the rat's Mom*

Stinky was actually short for Little Stinker. But he was far from it. Just the sweetest, cutest, tamest guy. He lived in my son's room and would come to the side of his cage and "ask" for attention. Never once tried to escape. I can still see his sweet little face.

---

Can you tell I'm off work today?

[ldyjocelyn]

Yes, I'm a post-ho this morning...school's out and I don't feel like working....especially with this good news (I see rohdy beat me, but I'm leaving it in anyway!):

OMWH is Billboard's Top Internet Album!!!!

:nana: :04:

I'm sorry muski, I think I noticed your avi, and then TOTALLY forgot about it. You're definitely not on ignore! It just seems that you change your avi every 30 minutes (or as Clay says, every time he changes his look). Not that THAT's a bad thing, though.

[Iseeme]

EEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeee for Billboard!!! WOO HOO - #1 Internet CD!!!!!!

[footloose]

EEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[Couch Tomato]

What does that mean exactly...that more of his albums were bought from online stores?

It seems kinda self explanatory but Billboard has always confounded me with their categories.

[ldyjocelyn]

What does that mean exactly...that more of his albums were bought from online stores?

It means that he had the most digital albums sold last week, more than any other artist on the list. So it seems a LOT of people bought a downloaded copy of his album via the internet, probably mostly from iTunes -- in order to get the beloved track of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Muppet song (which added a new member yesterday -- *waves at laughn*). *g*

And I never realized Billboard had a "top ringtones" chart either. Sheesh.

[jmh123]

What does that mean exactly...that more of his albums were bought from online stores?

It means that he had the most digital albums sold last week, more than any other artist on the list. So it seems a LOT of people bought a downloaded copy of his album via the internet, probably mostly from iTunes -- in order to get the beloved track of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Muppet song (which added a new member yesterday -- *waves at laughn*). *g*

And I never realized Billboard had a "top ringtones" chart either. Sheesh.

Actually, it means online store sales. He is #3 on the digital albums chart.

[Iseeme]

Actually, it means online store sales. He is #3 on the digital albums chart

Huh? One is sales and the other is just downloads? I'm confuzzled.

[ldyjocelyn]

Thanks jmh -- I stand corrected!

[jmh123]

Actually, it means online store sales. He is #3 on the digital albums chart

Huh? One is sales and the other is just downloads? I'm confuzzled.

Online store = Amazon.com, or BarnesandNoble.com, or BestBuy.com--a store where you order a physical CD that is shipped to you.

Digital = you download the music directly to your computer.

[Couch Tomato]

thanks, that makes sense. Cool.

[Iseeme]

Ahh, that does make sense. Thank you. Interesting that ol' Toby Keith was more than a couple slots behind Clay in that ranking. I checked out the ringtone rankings and didn't recognize any of those people/groups.

I'm feeling old.

[Lotus]

Iseeme

I think the problem is that he was marketed as something he isn't coming out of AI. Or if you did well on AI than it's a natural progression that you're pop/rock.

I find the whole discussion of ballad versus "up tempo" songs interesting. Simon stated many times that what he was looking for on AI was a pop singer. He never said we're looking for someone who sings ballads beautifully and Paula congratulated Clay, when in her terms, he finally demonstrated that he was "the pop singer". Perhaps this is one of the reasons why it was better for Clay to have come in second.

When I look at the old video of Clay singing YTO with his band...he is having such fun just as he seems to have fun performing "up tempo" songs during his tours. Now some people I recall are annoyed by the tern "up tempo" but it is one which OMC himself uses during AI2R when talking about THAI when he refers to people having the mistaken impression that all he sings are ballads.

No matter....thanks to ATDW, Clay is now type cast and perhaps he is just accepting the niche into which he has now been slotted. I just wish that the climate of the music industry was such that he could be accepted for singing ballads and pop/rock.

[Gibby]

I do have something to post for my dear friend bottlecap...

Gif from gerwhisp

jpg from Shirley Rodriguez

Will there be an avatar change in her future? Inquiring minds want to know.

And I'm STILL looking for a "Clay blows his face up like a fish" gif!

I wll assume I should be , but I can't actually see imageshack stuff until I get home. Stoopid filters..

:F_05BL17blowkiss: for thinking of me!

Aw, too bad! Can you see photobucket images? If so, I can upload them to my photobucket and post them from there for you.

Yes, I'm a post-ho this morning...school's out and I don't feel like working....especially with this good news (I see rohdy beat me, but I'm leaving it in anyway!):

OMWH is Billboard's Top Internet Album!!!!

:nana: :04:

I'm sorry muski, I think I noticed your avi, and then TOTALLY forgot about it. You're definitely not on ignore! It just seems that you change your avi every 30 minutes (or as Clay says, every time he changes his look). Not that THAT's a bad thing, though.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's wonderful!!

[FearofH2O]

Chiming in to bring up a pet that I have not seen mentioned. My youngest had this pet when he was in his early twenties. I think I bought this hermit crab that he named Otis from NJ one summer when visiting playbiller. It resided in an aquarium with just a bowl of water, sand and some extra shells and toys. My son would take the crab in the shower with him or just let it wander around the kitchen floor. We never stepped on it. Otis moved with him from NC to AL back to the NC mountains and finally ended up in our home. It died after about five years when we had a power outage and no way to keep it warm. Our cats climbed in a sleeping bag with me but there was no room for Otis. It rally seemed to connect with my son. A very cheap pet.

Re "Ashes", I thought this song was a good fit for an uptempo song in an album full of meaningful lyrics. It's not my #1 song as I can't seem to get enough of the Real Me and Sacrificial Love. And I can see why Clay has a difficult time finding these uptempo songs, no oh baby baby in sight. As he said these will be fun songs at a concert. He really did plan out this cd for listening and concert use.

[claytonic]

Actually, it means online store sales. He is #3 on the digital albums chart

Huh? One is sales and the other is just downloads? I'm confuzzled.

Online store = Amazon.com, or BarnesandNoble.com, or BestBuy.com--a store where you order a physical CD that is shipped to you.

Digital = you download the music directly to your computer.

Clay Aiken Interview GDLA 05/14/08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60qZ3-hD9wI

I don't know who these people are but it's a good interview and the guy says "Clay has a new CD.....debut #4 on Billboard while the title track was Amazon.com's #1 download".

Is the GDLA guy wrong?

[ldyjocelyn]

claytonic, GDLA guy was talking about OMWH "the single" being the number one downloaded track on Amazon. The difference is the single versus the album.

Lotus, I understand what you are saying. I'm one who gets frustrated with the focus on "up-tempo" and here's why: I think for some fans that's ALL they want him to sing. They would be perfectly happy if he never sang another ballad as long as they (or Clay) lives. Meanwhile, I think Clay would like to perform a variety of tunes and styles, and think he did quite well with that with OMWH. Heck, I actually think he didn't do a bad job of that with ATDW either if people would have opened their ears and listened to the thing, but that's neither here nor there anymore to me. I do agree with you Lotus that it seems that the music world seems to want people who only focus on one niche, while I believe Clay can do so much more than that. He likes the variety, and yet, there's this idea that he can only be one or the other. I see that both in the music business in general as well as with some fans. There's a lot of "putting Clay in a box" everywhere you turn, IMO.

Ashes? Well, I haven't listened to it in about 12 hours -- can I get back to you tonight?

[Lotus]

Just saw this 2 Nice photos on Just Jared

Clay has said On My Way Here represents the last five years of his life, but that he didn’t write any of the material. He said he’s “not great” at songwriting and that he’d rather “let the people who are experts in that field do what they do, and I’ll do what I do.”

I wish they could get it right but then Clay doesn't ever emphasize that he did write one of the songs.

[KAndre]

It wasn't "up tempo" - it's that frickin' upbeat.

I enjoy the uptempo as much as anyone and think he does them well...I just think"balladeer" is a MAJOR component of his preferred performing style. He likes what he's good at, and I can't blame him for that.

A hermit crab? New one on me!

[bottlecap]

Just saw this 2 Nice photos on Just Jared

Hee. I like Quiana's purse, and of course Clay looks very CUTE! I wonder if maybe these pictures are from coming or going to the AOL Sessions dealie. I think the RCA Dude said that was being recorded this week.

Gibby, I can check out the tongue pics when I get home - it's just the work computer that thwarts my viewing pleasure.

[ldyjocelyn]

Lotus, there's about 6 or so pictures on that site. And dear Lord...I think I see skin in this one...

bottlecap, is this not the Tonight Show outfit (with a change of shoes)?

FYI, CU has the Rachael Ray preview up, and it's seriously CUTE!

[bottlecap]

bottlecap, is this not the Tonight Show outfit (with a change of shoes)?

Nope - if so you'd be seeing a triangle of black t-shirt instead of belly skin.

Defintely a different shirt and jacket combo from the Tonight Show. Also, I assume the pictures are from yesterday, since JustJared is normally pretty quick to post stuff.

ETA: I forgot about Good Day LA from yesterday - is it that outfit?

[Claygasm]

This is why I HATE that his sales were soooooooo much lower than any of his previous albums. News spots like this make it seem as if his 15 minutes are surely up.

Anti Music.com

Then there is Clay Aiken and his second album of new material. Aiken's "On My Way Here" made a respectable No. 4 debut just barely beat out by Madonna. However, the 94,071 units sold is significantly less than his last album, the covers collection "A Thousand Different Ways," which sold over 205,000 copies in its first week of release and landed at No. 2.

In fact, that release sold less than his holiday release "Merry Christmas With Love," which moved 270,100 copies the first week and set a Billboard record. And his debut, "Measure Of A Man," opened at the top of the charts with sales of over 613,000 units. While he still has a insanely devoted fanbase of "Claymates," it just appears there are less of them these days. Either that or less casual fans opting to buy the CD. Perhaps making TV appearances where he didn't perform to showcase the songs on new album might not have helped reach out to those potential buyers either.

I TOTALLY agree with the bolded part. I really wish they would book more singing appearances in the next few weeks, otherwise this album may just fade away.

EW.com

The Mother's Day trade no doubt helped account for Clay Aiken's On My Way Here doing as well as it did, debuting at No. 4 with 94,000 sold. (Aiken's fortunes would seem to be on the decline, though; his first album entered the chart in 2003 with a monstrous 615,000, and even his last release debuted with 211,000 just a year and a half ago.)

LOVE those Just Jared pictures, but hate that they had to say while he was #4 it sold significantly less than ATDW...... Grrrr.

[ldyjocelyn]

Steppin' Out Magazine

I'm trying to find the actual article.....I'll edit when I find it.

[Claygasm]

Steppin' Out Magazine

I'm trying to find the actual article.....I'll edit when I find it.

Well here is the table of content.

Page 1 of article

PAge 2

Page 3

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